THE INTERNATIONAL Union for Nature Conservation (IUNC) has added Ras Mohamed and Wadi Al-Hitan — the Valley of the Whales – to its green list. The news was announced at the 14th round of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 14), held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh from 17 to 29 November, writes Mahmoud Bakr. The IUNC decision to green-list Ras Mohamed and the Valley of the Whales crowns the Ministry of Environment's efforts, in cooperation with civil societies, to preserve natural resources and protect biodiversity, says Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad. The Ras Mohamed natural protectorate lies 12km south of Sharm El-Sheikh. It is rich in coral reefs, rare wildlife and fossils. While a portion of the area was declared a nature reserve in 1938, it remained more or less neglected until 1989 when a comprehensive plan to further extend and protect the area was put in place. The reserve was expanded from 97 square km to 480. Of these, 345 square km comprise the marine protectorate, home to vibrant coral reefs and an astonishing array of fish, rare marine creatures and sea turtles. The Valley of the Whales covers 1,759 square km in Fayoum governorate's Wadi Al-Rayan, 150km southwest of Cairo. Forty million years ago the area was part of the ancient ocean that engulfed north Africa and the reserve, rich in whale fossils, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The IUNC green list includes 25 sites internationally.
